The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-11-21
A WONDERFUL BOY PREACHER.
Pascal Porter, of Indiana, the Mar
vel or All Who Hear Him.
M. n. Snlith IN IndianapoIis Nelos.


Is it simply wonderful feat of memoir
izlng or is it inspirations is the question
every one who has heard Pascal Porter, the
boy preacher, is asking. This prodigy is a
product of jefferson county, and is not IL
years old When not in the pulpit he is the
most ordinary of ordinary boys, possessing
nothing that would distinguish him from
hundred OF other boys seen throughout the
country. In fact, the cursory observer
would place him below the average of In
dlana boys. While in a state of repose he is
ilSt!ess, with dull-looking eyes and express
lonless countenance. He walks with an awk-
ward stumbling gait, not appearing to no.
tlce those things which generally attract the
ATTENTION of boys of his age Placed with
any dozen boys of his neighborhood, and he
would be chosen out as the stupid one of the
lot. Yet this awkward country boy, with
his stumbling gait, istless air and dull
look, is one of the wonders of this century
de is preacher, and the leading preacher
OF his peculiar sect, and if his sermons are
his own production, he is the leading
preacher In Indiana, of any denomination
lie Is a lecturer, and, ii his lectures are
original, he is far ahead of any man who is
now ON the platform III this country This
may sound like rhapsody, but it is the YER
dlct of every one who has heard him. lie is
PAoii tpulblN 10y. WIN HUE VI uO StiuNd-
ton, and yet i'll his sermons and lectures he
uses language equal to the most polished
and cultured of the present day. His
thoughts are those of a strong and original
thinker, and his words are well chosen a d
those of all others that ought to have been
used, expressing his thoughts clearly and
strongly. His sermons are logical in their
arrangement, and show a wonderful and
most intimate acquaintance with the Holy
Scriptures
Not only do his sermons display an init
mate acquaintance with the Bible, but with
current history, and he takes up and applies
current events 10 elucidate and make plain
his topic and enforce his teachings. Nor
is this all. They display a most remark
able comprehension of the Scriptures. When
he states proposition he backs it up and
enforces it with quotations fro j the Bible
that are exceedingly well chosen for the pur-
pose.
AS l said, out of the pulpit he is the most
ordinary of boys, but when he enterC the
sacred desk a Transformation takes place.
His face lights UP and fairly gloNs His
dull eyes fairly sparkle with enthusiasm and
intelligence. His awkward and shutflng
manner leaves him, and he is a new creature.
When ne prays it is with simple, childlike
earnestness and deep pathos that. melt all
hearts. He prayS as if he were asking favors
from one with whom be was on terms of
familiar and loving intercourse His God is
one who is not afar off, but who is very
near, and in whose love he has the suprem-
est confidence. Hence he prays to Him as
such. His prayers, if uttered in one or our
city pulpits, would give the hearers new
ideas OF what the Saviour meant when he
spoke of those who should worship
him in the spirit. He announces his text in
the same earnest manner ,sand without any
apologies or attempts to show off, proceeds
at once to elucida.e his text. He breaches
from his text, and in this differs from most
of the preachers of the present day, for their
texts are never heard of after the reading
of them. In many cases any verse in the
Bible would have suited their sermon as
well as the text they announced, but it is
not so with this boy preacher. His text fur
nlshes the ground work and foundation of
his discourses.
He belongs to that peculiar sect Known as
Soul Sleepers." The doctrine that at the
death of the body the soul went into sleep
and remained in that condition until the
final resurrection, when it would be united
with the body, obtained an early foothold
among the followers of Christ and num-
bered among them many earnest advocates
At one time ils truth was affirmed from the
Vatican, and occupied the attention of more
than one of the great councils of the early
church. 1t has but few adherentS in this
country, and ! know of no place where a
church organization is maintained but i'll
jefferson county, in this State, although
there are several who preach the belief. OF
the church in jefferson county Pascal Por-
ter is the pastor, or preacher. His wonder
full performances are attracting the atten-
ton of the people in other States. | re-
Gently received letter from New Hamp-
shire asking for information concerning
him and the doctrines he breaches. As far
as | have heard, he is not much given to
preaching doctrinal sermons, but breaches
lust such sermons as would accomplish
the work in which Moody and other
evangeists are engaged in. One thing
is certain-there is not a preacher in In
dianapolis who would not gladly father his
sermons.
He has recently delivered two lectures in
Madison before large and cultivated audi
ences-one on temperance and the other on
the history and character of the jew sh race
that were marvels, and won the unbound
ed applause of tue audiences Like his SER
mons the lectures were models of style,
diction and eloquence, while that on the
Jewish race displayed an erudition that as
tonished every one. AS said before, the
language he uses is that of one who has
thought long and well, and who has had the
aid of scholastic training and extensive
reading. Now, where does this boy get all
this! He has had no education. and has had
no opportunity for extensive reading. In
fact, his chances for information from read
ing have been very limited. Are the SER
mons and lectures his, or are they the pro-
duction of some mature and magnifcently
developed mind, committed to memory by
him? 1t is pulling question. In their
delivery there are no evidences of memoriz-
ing. There is nothing mechanical about the
delivery, as may be seen in lengthy recita-
ton by even the best elocutiolists.
There is no pausing and hunt
ing around for a"cue word" There
are no repetitIons or skips, but the whole is
spoken deliberately and without any SEEM
ing straining, bat as if the boy compre-
hended the full meaning of all the words he
uses and the thoughts to which he gives
utterance. If they are memorized, the boy
is still a prodigy, for there is not another one
of his years, and with as little training as he
has had, who can, week after week, commit
to memory and recite as perfectly such long
discourses If they are committed, the
words and ideas must many times be beyond
his comprehension, and any one who has
ever tried the experiment knows how hard
it is to commit and recite a thing they do
not understand Ii they are original, they
are nothing short of inspiration. One thing
is certain they are not part original and
,art committed. for the original would show
less thought and less pure diction than the
part committed, yet no such breaks are
found in his sermons or lectures. He is